a girl on a journey to sustainable style

Bet you thought you were doing good donating all those unwanted clothes-didn’t cha?

Where does it all go?

I am reading an article from Fashion Revolution- actually not just one article but many interesting and educational articles found in their latest Fanzine “Loved Clothes Last.” This issue is all about clothing waste.

Did you ever think about where the clothes you donate wind up? I know everyone thinks they are doing a world of good by donating (at least I always did) but some of the stats on what actually gets reused and repurchased are staggering. Taking into consideration that most donated clothes are probably ripped, stained, too poor quality or so ugly no one would actually want to wear them again–EVER, the fact remains; a lot of donated clothes can’t be reused and ends up as trash.

Speaking of trash, unwanted clothing that ultimately ends up in economically challenged countries stays just that, unwanted clothing. Meaning it ends up sitting in landfills and people’s back yards waiting to decompose (some fibers take up to 1000 years to fully degrade) or goes to incineration emitting harmful gasses and chemicals even more damaging to our environment – eek!

If you haven’t noticed clothing is being made at increasingly alarming rates to satisfy binge shoppers and the belief that we can only wear something once before-heavens sake-its out of style! Ahhhh, the horror! But really this is what is being promoted by a lot of big fashion houses and more and more fashion influencers (no shade to the fashion influencers-I still love you! You probably know not what you do). Pushing fast fashion, and a “this is so cheap you can’t afford not to buy it” mentality is doing nothing for the survival of the planet, your wallet, the health and safety of garment factory workers and likely so much more (check out this fun read Cheap Clothes Are Too Expensive: Buy Quality Instead) I love fashion but do we really need 52 new seasons a year? What was wrong with two or even four?

So just some food for thought…To buy more means you are demanding more to be made. It means there will be more waste and it means you are paying a cost of this waste even if you don’t directly see it. Why not try a new route or really go the old route…try to be a conscious shopper. Buy less, buy quality, use more! Buy vintage, 2nd hand, consignment. Value what you purchase, Love what you purchase. Love fashion but appreciate fashion. At the same time you will be demanding fair wages and a better life for those who actually make your clothes…they deserve it right?

So again here is the link to this Fanzine…there really are a lot of fun articles and interesting reads mixed in with some cool art and photography. Knowledge is power ya’ll so get reading 🙂

Cheers!

xo Sami

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Published by Sami from Miami

Hi, I am Samantha, my friends call me Sami and I am just a 30 something girl living the dream in beautiful hot and humid Miami, FL…it’s a state of mind right?
I have always been working in the fashion world with the last 5 years in the corporate fashion world. However I have been feeling a little bored lately and thought I should change that…Hello SamifromMiami.com. I am still thinking about what I want to do when I grow up (no I am not a child in 30 year old body) just saying I still have a lot of life to live and I want to make it great! I love art and creativity, fashion, textiles and photography. I LOVE to travel and experience new cultures and I REALLY LOVE inspiration and hearing how others reached and accomplished their goals and what is next…momentum is key for me!
So I decided to start this blog to basically give me something fun to look forward. I decided to document my journey after I committed to challenging myself to NOT purchase ANY clothes for an entire year! Instead I’ll style my current closet (lord knows I have enough) into as many looks as possible and also design, recreate and sew myself any “must haves” I just can not live with out. This will be a great focus for me and hopefully help me discover where I want to land in the industry!
Hopefully my journey will inspire others to find their passion as I hope to do for my self! It is all just meant to be a fun, lighthearted and an easy read with vibrant colors ☺
CHEERS!
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